Siemens to deliver key equipment for power plant in Jordan

Siemens will supply the key components for the Attarat steam power plant in Jordan. The customer China Energy Engineering Group Guangdong Power Engineering Co. Ltd. will build the facility as general contractor for the operator of the plant, the Attarat Power Company. Siemens’ scope of supply comprises two SST5-5000 steam turbines, two air-cooled SGen5-1200A generators, and the turbine control system. The condenser is air cooled to address the lack of water at the site. This can be seen as a global trend for dry areas where water is mainly used for households, farming and ecosystem. The power plant will start operation in mid-2020 and will feed up to 470 MW to Jordan’s power grid.

The Attarat facility will supply enough electricity to cover up to 15 percent of the country’s annual power demand. Jordan is one of the most water-scarce countries in the world. The air cooled condensers will save up to 90 percent of the water needed for the plant’s operation compared with the use of a wet cooling system. Siemens will supply low-pressure turbines which are able to withstand the high back pressure caused by the condensers. The SST5-5000 is the most compact steam turbine generator consisting of one combined high- / intermediate pressure and one low pressure module ever built for a steam power plant. This will provide a small footprint and highest possible performance.

Jordan is considered one of the driest countries in the world, and 14 percent of the country’s power capacity is used for water treatment and distribution. The power plant will be built in the desert at Attarat Um Ghudran, 100 kilometers southeast of the Jordanian capital Amman and away from the country’s natural water supplies. The efficient use of scarce resources, especially water, is a critical challenge to provide a reliable power supply for the local population and economy.